Flight Data Recorders

[Dean Taylor]

I was just thinking:

In airline crashes, they always seem to have a hard time locating the flight data recorders. For instance, in the recent Air France crash in the Atlantic Ocean, investigators stated they may never find the recorders because of the depth and terrain of the ocean where the crash took place.

This makes me wonder....in this day and age, how come the flight information can't be streamed in real time to a centrally located or even local monitoring stations via satellite? This would allow investigators to see the flight information immediately without having to scour through wreckage to find the (often damaged) boxes.

With all the technology already onboard the aircraft and in the air traffic control stations, it doesn't seem like it would take that much to do this. It certainly seems cost effective as compared to sending submarines to the ocean floor to search.

 

[Washmee]

I was just thinking:

In airline crashes, they always seem to have a hard time locating the flight data recorders. For instance, in the recent Air France crash in the Atlantic Ocean, investigators stated they may never find the recorders because of the depth and terrain of the ocean where the crash took place.

This makes me wonder....in this day and age, how come the flight information can't be streamed in real time to a centrally located or even local monitoring stations via satellite? This would allow investigators to see the flight information immediately without having to scour through wreckage to find the (often damaged) boxes.

With all the technology already onboard the aircraft and in the air traffic control stations, it doesn't seem like it would take that much to do this. It certainly seems cost effective as compared to sending submarines to the ocean floor to search.

Dean, I watched a discussion of this topic on the Today Show this morning. We do have the technology to do what you describe right now, but the pilots have problems with the concept. They fear that the data could somehow be an invasion into the workspace they now control. Some expert said it would have to be included in contract negotiations.

 

[MEP001]

The technology should also be there to allow the system to start sending data immediately when certain problems are detected, such as an engine failure. That should eliminate their concerns over privacy.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

while over the ocean we currently don't have any radar, so planes could be streaming locations to satellite in conjunction with the gps. Also communications are somewhat limited while over the ocean, with all communication done by shortwave. This also could be done by satellite , during thunderstorms the HF radio is prone to alot of static. The industry is very slow to change.

 

[pitzerwm]

That would be the unions, not wanting any data of any kind sent anywhere, as it might catch a union member sleeping/drunk/stupid on the job. This happens on all levels, GPS in the company trucks, etc.

Wake up, the worm has turned and Obama has given the unions Chrysler, GM, has threatened the states if they tried to reduce union wages, thankfully so far the "everyone will be union" hasn't passed, so get with the program, this too will come to pass.

Accountability is something that isn't going to happen any more.

 

[mac]

Dean, a good idea, but I can see a lot of tech issues. I don't know the number of flights daily with commercial transports, but I've heard that at any time there are about 3,000 of them up there. And that's just over the continental US. From that number I'm guessing that worldwide on a daily basis there must be at least 20,000 flights. Each data recorder keeps track of somewhere aroung 50 to 100 data points. That's a lot of info to send and store. From the latest report the plane went down in about 20,000 of ocean. Not a good place to be on a dark and stormy night.

 

[pitzerwm]

Apparently, this system is in effect. That plane sent data somewhere before it crashed, they figured out that it flew right into a BIG storm and broke up in flight.